The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in the Philippines has announced a significant change in the voting process for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), with the implementation of internet voting starting in the 2025 elections. Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia, speaking at a forum in Manila, emphasized the commitment to this initiative, stating that the commission will proceed with internet voting “at all cost, law or no law.”
This decision aims to increase voter turnout among OFWs while reducing government expenses. Despite the absence of a specific law for internet voting, the Overseas Voting Act (Republic Act 9189) grants Comelec the authority to explore and utilize internet-based technologies for this purpose.
In the 2022 elections, over P400 million was spent on overseas voting, which saw only a 39 percent turnout, the highest since the implementation of overseas voting. Garcia highlighted the need for an alternative voting mode, considering the low participation and high cost.
Currently, OFWs vote by mail or in person at Philippine embassies and foreign posts. As of last year, there were about 1.7 million registered migrant voters, with the largest concentrations in the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin American countries, and Europe.
Comelec spokesman John Rex Laudiangco clarified that the commission’s authority to adopt new voting modes is supported by Sections 16.11 of Republic Act 9189 and Sections 23 and 28 of RA 10580.